Tropes
I'm a TVTropes fan. Spoilers are marked with a black highlight, with brackets.. They're marked this way because it's probably something most people wouldn't know by simply looking it up. A lot of information is available, but there are some things some characters wouldn't know. Also, pardon some of the occasionally odd spacing. Most of this was copied from another webhost, so there may be a bit of spatial oddities. Overall Setting A Form you are Comfortable With / The reason M walks around in his humanoid form, for the most part. Not 'the' reason, but 'a' reason. Affably Evil / The Madgod, depending on his mood. Alien Invasion / Not quite yet, but it's a current threat. Good news is, at least Earth is aware of it in this setting. Aliens Speaking English / They don't. A common, nearly-free implant can trick the brain into thinking this. Alternate Universe All Myths are True Amazon Brigade / Kyna's Shadowcrest Praetoria are all-female, and very fierce. A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read / Which is why Vanguard telepaths are trained not to go crazy with the ability. Arbitrary Skepticism / Despite being worldwide, some people still think magic (Among other things) is just some kind of implant. Anti Villain and Sliding Scale of Anti Villains / The Madgod, Type III, of course! Applied Phlebotinum / Necessary. Better Than It Sounds / Dimension-hopping godlike anti-villain with an anti-demon and undead ass-kicking army fights said things along with some aliens. Bio Augmentation / Not as popular as direct augmentation, though. Antimagical Faction / There's one, but it doesn't have significant pull. Blood Magic / Legalized, but heavily regulated. City Planet / Not quite yet, but it's heading in that direction, to the dismay of environmentalists. Chivalrous Pervert / Brian McGee falls into this category. Color Coded Wizardry / In full swing. Red usually means some kind of chaotic or destructive magic, green usually means some kind of miasma or death, blue tends to be water and ice. There are plenty of overlaps however. Combat Pragmatist / A lot of the in-universe combatants. Honor exists up to a point, but in open conflict all bets are off. Crapsack Only By Comparison / Invoked on purpose. While people who live in this world are happy by a majority, it's still up to the individual reader or player to decide if they'd REALLY want to live here or not. Cybernetics Eat Your Soul / Averted! Not only are they safe, they've become all the cheaper over the span of a few decades. Death From Above / The Madgod is a fan of this. Decade Dissonance / Outside many of the major cities, some settlements may look like things we still see in our day. Demon Slaying Drop Pod / A favored tactic of deploying Templars to give enemies an "Oh, shit" moment. During the War / There's a few. The Vanguard occupation is not a clean sweep. Earth is the Center of the Universe / Technically not, but its importance is due to the Madgod's presence. Easily Thwarted Alien Invasion / Heavily averted. When The Gathering decides to attack, they're going to make a mess. ::Kyna: I've seen their fleets. They are... substantial. Enforced Technology Levels / Done on purpose, the Madgod doesn't want to reward humans with tech they don't know how to use, so he's easing them into it. Evil Me Scares Me / A minor example. Kyna is not afraid of using her shadow form if the need calls for it, but it's mostly a last resort. Everyone is a Super / Sort of. Most of those employed by the Vanguard (Mostly the soldiers) have the Eu Sou gene, which triples a human's lifespan. Fantastic Arousal / Unavoidable, really. ::Matthias: You got a thing for alien chicks, don't ya' boy? ::Brian McGee: I do, goddamnit! Fantastic Catholicism Fantastic Honorifics / There are some. Fantastic Racism / Against the Undead. Fantastic Slurs / "Leech" is a common slur for vampire, though some incorrectly use it as a catch-all for most forms of undead. Fantasy Kitchen Sink / We have aliens. magic and more! Free Love Future / A tame example. After the world got over the initial shock of Emergence Day and Madgod maintained control of most the world. His views allowed individual freedom across many topics, including sex. Functional Magic Have You Tried Not Being a Monster? / A comedic advertisement/propaganda animation by the Vanguard talking to some vampires or murderers that slipped through their nets during the war. :Hello! Apparently you enjoy being a murderous lunatic! Have you tried NOT being a murderous lunatic and be AWESOME instead? :: Helmets Are Hardly Heroic / Thoroughly averted; Templars do all but surgically equip their armor... Nobody knows what templars look like under the helmets. Normal Hologram Humans are Flawed / A common theme, they're not quite at the Humans are Bastards level. Hunter of His Own Kind / The races among the Vanguard's enemies that join them anyway, tend to become this. Ignored Expert / The cause of the civil war. The Madgod did not heed any advice. Immune To Bullets / Whether by armor or power, this has caused swords to make a slight, if technological, comeback. Inter-species Romance / Again, unavoidable. See Brian's exchange above. Invaded States of America / The Vanguard Campaign started there. Kinetic Weapons Are Just Better / Yes and no. Energy Weapons are simply not as widespread. Kryptonite Factor / Light-Holy magic can cripple a Trahl'es'das primary powerset. It'll even throw the Madgod for a loop. In this case they'll just likely pull out something else to kill their enemy. Magic-Powered Psuedoscience / Sometimes, especially regarding the anti-undead tech. Magitek Magibabble / Sometimes MacGuffin Girl / Kyna was briefly this during the events of Emergence Day. My Species Doth Protest Too Much / Some of the Vanguard-allies Vampires think this. Feeling they are more civilized than their barbaric brethren. Names To Run Away From Really Fast / "Madgod Matthias, the Soul-Eater" Necromancy / Half the reason the Vanguard is so powerful against the undead. Neural Implanting / Not nearly so dramatic, skills cannot be implanted. But there are implants to make some things easier. No Biochemical Barriers / Averted! No Holds Barred Beatdown / Happens a lot. The Templars are specifically trained to have no mercy against the undead. No New Fashions in the Future / Yes and no. No Paper Future / Increasingly true, but not quite yet. Not Using the Z Word / There are many classifications, with some overlap. ::Visitor: And you are...? ::Grammy: I'm Grammy, a reanimated adviser to the chief Necromancer. ::Visitor: Are you a zombie? ::Grammy: More like a ghoul, but I am not offended. One World Order / Becomes this, through some effort. Our Monsters are Different / This setting's enemies tend to be something more familiar. Shadow minions, Nightfallen abominations, tend to be very docile and even friendly. Outgrown Such Silly Superstitions / With some opposition. Portal Network / A couple different kinds, too. Reasonable Authority Figure / The Madgod purposely hires a multitude of these. Despite Earth becoming a modified dictatorship under his rule - It turns out in the right hands that doesn't have to be a horrible thing. Really 700 Years Old / Thanks to the Eu Sou Gene and Trahl'es'da unit. Red Eyes, Take Warning / Mostly averted. The Madgod can look downright frightening to some, but sometimes he'll keep on his cheery demeanor even with his eyes, sharklike teeth and Voice of the Legion. He's an easy man to read. Red Sky, Take Warning / Subverted. The red fog above cities usually just means the area is under heavy Vanguard control, not because of any impending doom. Doesn't stop people from being wary, though. Science Destroys Magic / Not always, but there are some things Magic doesn't account for. Shooting Superman / M, Kyna, and various other immortals are still confused as to why such famous figures still take fire from their enemies. Someone Has To Do It / The reason Kyna is the only one that steps up against Matthias when he's being unreasonable is that she's the only one tough enough to take him out. Stat-O-Vision / Kyna has a mystical form of this due to the Shadow influence. Super Soldier / Templars, easily. Surrounded by Smart People / Brian McGee, M's right-hand-man... While far from an idiot, often sounds very silly while being around Matthias or Kyna, whom are his intellectual superiors. Terraform / A second planet is in this process. The Future is Noir / The red fog doesn't help! The Gods Must Be Lazy / SPOILER In this setting, most of the polytheistic religions are true. Their apparent 'absence' for the last thousands of years or so, is purely due to their own apathy. They show up a few times, mostly because the Madgod came to mix things up, which interests them. The Magic Comes Back / Part of the early plot. See Unmasqued World below. The Worf Effect / The Legate (Leader of the Templars) proves how badass he is by challenging Kyna Vance. And survives. The Unmasqued World / Invoked by the Madgod in the early 2000's to get humans mentally prepared. Translator Microbes / Aforementioned implant. Twenty Minutes into the Future / Most of this lore takes place between 2050's to early 2100's. Urban Fantasy Well Intentioned Extremist / The Madgod and his Templars. We Will Have Perfect Health in the Future We Will Wear Armor in the Future / Increasingly popular, given the new emphasis on martial prowess in society. The World is Not Ready / Averted. In fact, M chose a time that they sort of were. Results varied. Wild Magic / Magic in this setting is described as sometimes having a mind of its own, but not to screw people over. Why Don't You Just Shoot Him / A common tactic. The Vanguard does not screw around. SPOILER Other than Kyna, this is also the reason no Hero crops up this setting to stand against Matthias. Most opposition gets killed off immediately. World Building / And I'm not even done, people. Year Inside Hour Outside / How most inter-dimensional trips work. This is why Kyna is only 60-100 in this Earth, but actual age is upward to ~1,000+, given the time she's spent in other realms. Voice of the Legion / The Madgod, most of the time. Individual Characters Kyna Vance Anti-Hero Arms Dealer / Sometimes. Awaking the Sleeping Giant / Kyna has a very long fuse but it's attached to a very large bomb. Awesome Yet Practical / Boring Yet Practical Bare Your Midriff / Sometimes. Barrier Maiden / She is competent in a fight. Badass Normal / She doesn't need to use her shadow abilities to wreck someone. Berserk Button / Don't imply that her employees are slaves, and don't joke about rape. (She's not a victim, but hates it as much as M does) Beware the Nice Ones Bitch in Sheeps Clothing / Mostly polite but will immediately switch to bitch mode when disrespected. Combat Pragmatist / Don't bring a sword to a gunfight. The Cynic / No direct reason why she's like that. Witnesses some of her interactions with the Madgod might show why. Dark and Troubled Past / Averted. A lot has happened to her, however only a couple things actually affected her on any deep level, most of it M's fault. Dark Magical Girl Did You Just Punch Out Cthulu? Disproportionate Retribution / Averted. She tries to balance punishment with the offense. Deadpan Snarker / Can be, mostly towards the Madgod or others to act against logic. Emotionless Girl / She's not, but many think she is due to her stoic demeanor. The Engineer Escape Artist Friend in the Black Market / Sort of. She's aware sometimes shady people need her wares, but prefers them to at least -act- normal. Fighting a Shadow Miss Fixit / Due to her wife, Kyna has gained some moderate mechanical skill. Morality Chain / Once. She was on a mission with minimal enemy casualties, until one of them shot her cybernetic raven down. All hell broke loose. Girls Love Stuffed Animals / A guilty pleasure of hers. Girls With Guns / Do I really need to explain this one? Glowing Eyes of Doom / Only when she's using shadow magic. Good Is Not Nice The Gunslinger Hair Trigger Temper / Subverted. See Bitch in Sheeps Clothing. Helmets are Hardly Heroic / Averted. She'd much rather not get a headshot. Shit hurts. Heroic Neutral Hot Chick With a Sword Hot Scientist / Pretty much. Hyper Awareness / Thanks to her Trahl'es'Da nature. Also, RP fights with this woman will include ten different "If... Then" statements from every action. I Did What I Had To Do / Oh so much. Instant Armor / Thanks to magic. Iron Lady / Hoooo boy. I Just Want to be Normal / But will happy be abnormal long enough to kick someone's ass. Impoverished Patrician / Karmajia and her Shadowcrest have little purpose outside of opposing Matthias on occassion. Judge Jury and Executioner / Usually with her own employees. Knowledge Broker / When put in the position. Lady of Black Magic Lady of War Military Brat / Via Madgod, closest thing to a father she has. Mysterious Employer Mysterious Past / Averted. Nothing about her past is secret. It's what she does in current times, that is. My Eyes Are Up Here Ninja Offstage Villainy / All the "less than legal" things she does, usually occurs in the background as they're too minor to be of note. Only Sane (Wo)man / Often the voice of reason among a crowd of ramblers or lunatics. Powered Armor Royalties Heir The Sandiego / Inverted. Kyna prefers softer targets. The more information, the easier the intrusion, the more likely she'd take the job. Not from lack of wanting challenge, simply the lack of wanting to be caught, arrested, and made. Secretly Wealthy / She dresses middle-class for someone who gets paid as well as she does. Slumming It / Sometimes she still goes on missions. A mask is usually worn. Steampunk The Call Knows Where You Live / Kyna, when ressurected, did not want anything to do with Matthias or the Vanguard. You can see how that worked out. The Stoic / Her outward personality. Capable of smiling and laughter, but not often. Token Minority / Spanish heritage, tanned skin. Tomboy Princess Tomboyish Ponytail Weekend Inventor What Have I Done / How she feels about "Maria", an immensely powerful gun. Madgod Matthias Not exactly a complete list, I did Kyna's before I did his. Still, here's his starter pack: A God Am I Affably Evil / When in his more "civilian" form, he's rather polite. Archetypal Character / His concept isn't necessarily new. Arms Dealer / The Vanguard does peddle its tech. Anti Hero Anti Villain Berserk Button / Slavery and rape, two things he absolutely despises. Despite being a bit hypocritical to the first (One argument is that the Vanguard practically enslaves demons and vampires to keep them in line.) Cultured Badass The Cynic Dark and Troubled Past / Mostly. He remains cheery anyway. Dangerously Genre Savvy Deadpan Snarker Did You Just Punch Out Cthulu? / His reaction when he gets defeated. Eccentric Millionaire The Engineer / He tinkers. Evil Overlord List / He practically has the newsletter. Glowing Eyes of Doom / LOOK AT HIM . Handsome Devil / Civilian form. Hyper Awareness Judge Jury and Executioner / Generally with his own employees. Magnificent Bastard / ICly only. I'm not personally clever enough to RP this accurately. Mysterious Employer / Himself What Have I Done Mysterious Past / Hooo boy. Obfuscating Stupidity / Due to his element, he can act fairly silly. It's not necessarily an act, but there's a ruthless genius there. Offstage Villainy / Mostly because he's not seen in common RP. The Stoic / In Battlemage form, but not all the time. Sliding Scale of Villain Effectiveness / High, his plans are often successful. The only problem is they usually take years to take effect. Trickster / Sometimes. Well Intentioned Extremist : Paladin Leader: His Goals are Just. His methods... are not. Xanatos Gambit / Some of his plans are convoluted, but successful. X Meets Y / In the form of "Albert Wesker meets Sheogorath".